diff --git a/src/i_engine.hpp b/src/i_engine.hpp
index 5e610468..dfbdd265 100644
--- a/src/i_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/i_engine.hpp
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@ struct i_engine
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that more
     //  messages can be written to the pipe.
-    virtual void restart_input () = 0;
+    //  Returns false if the engine was deleted due to an error.
+    //  TODO it is probably better to change the design such that the engine
+    //  does not delete itself
+    virtual bool restart_input () = 0;
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that there
     //  are messages to send available.
diff --git a/src/norm_engine.cpp b/src/norm_engine.cpp
index bd9810af..724feb7d 100644
--- a/src/norm_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/norm_engine.cpp
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ void zmq::norm_engine_t::in_event ()
     }
 } // zmq::norm_engine_t::in_event()
 
-void zmq::norm_engine_t::restart_input ()
+bool zmq::norm_engine_t::restart_input ()
 {
     // TBD - should we check/assert that zmq_input_ready was false???
     zmq_input_ready = true;
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ void zmq::norm_engine_t::restart_input ()
     if (!msg_ready_list.IsEmpty ())
         recv_data (NORM_OBJECT_INVALID);
 
+    return true;
 } // end zmq::norm_engine_t::restart_input()
 
 void zmq::norm_engine_t::recv_data (NormObjectHandle object)
diff --git a/src/norm_engine.hpp b/src/norm_engine.hpp
index 5b241038..733f24fc 100644
--- a/src/norm_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/norm_engine.hpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class norm_engine_t : public io_object_t, public i_engine
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that more
     //  messages can be written to the pipe.
-    virtual void restart_input ();
+    virtual bool restart_input ();
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that there
     //  are messages to send available.
diff --git a/src/pgm_receiver.cpp b/src/pgm_receiver.cpp
index cbbaf16d..3dcef21d 100644
--- a/src/pgm_receiver.cpp
+++ b/src/pgm_receiver.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void zmq::pgm_receiver_t::restart_output ()
     drop_subscriptions ();
 }
 
-void zmq::pgm_receiver_t::restart_input ()
+bool zmq::pgm_receiver_t::restart_input ()
 {
     zmq_assert (session != NULL);
     zmq_assert (active_tsi != NULL);
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void zmq::pgm_receiver_t::restart_input ()
             //  HWM reached; we will try later.
             if (errno == EAGAIN) {
                 session->flush ();
-                return;
+                return true;
             }
             //  Data error. Delete message decoder, mark the
             //  peer as not joined and drop remaining data.
@@ -151,6 +151,8 @@ void zmq::pgm_receiver_t::restart_input ()
 
     active_tsi = NULL;
     in_event ();
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 const char *zmq::pgm_receiver_t::get_endpoint () const
diff --git a/src/pgm_receiver.hpp b/src/pgm_receiver.hpp
index d377d8fd..d5eca74d 100644
--- a/src/pgm_receiver.hpp
+++ b/src/pgm_receiver.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class pgm_receiver_t : public io_object_t, public i_engine
     //  i_engine interface implementation.
     void plug (zmq::io_thread_t *io_thread_, zmq::session_base_t *session_);
     void terminate ();
-    void restart_input ();
+    bool restart_input ();
     void restart_output ();
     void zap_msg_available () {}
     const char *get_endpoint () const;
diff --git a/src/pgm_sender.cpp b/src/pgm_sender.cpp
index 1fc71521..52561d0f 100644
--- a/src/pgm_sender.cpp
+++ b/src/pgm_sender.cpp
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@ void zmq::pgm_sender_t::restart_output ()
     out_event ();
 }
 
-void zmq::pgm_sender_t::restart_input ()
+bool zmq::pgm_sender_t::restart_input ()
 {
     zmq_assert (false);
+    return true;
 }
 
 const char *zmq::pgm_sender_t::get_endpoint () const
diff --git a/src/pgm_sender.hpp b/src/pgm_sender.hpp
index dfc79425..1eb0b1f1 100644
--- a/src/pgm_sender.hpp
+++ b/src/pgm_sender.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class pgm_sender_t : public io_object_t, public i_engine
     //  i_engine interface implementation.
     void plug (zmq::io_thread_t *io_thread_, zmq::session_base_t *session_);
     void terminate ();
-    void restart_input ();
+    bool restart_input ();
     void restart_output ();
     void zap_msg_available () {}
     const char *get_endpoint () const;
diff --git a/src/stream_engine.cpp b/src/stream_engine.cpp
index 9dc96696..2d0bb2f7 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.cpp
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_output ()
     out_event ();
 }
 
-void zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_input ()
+bool zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_input ()
 {
     zmq_assert (_input_stopped);
     zmq_assert (_session != NULL);
@@ -451,9 +451,11 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_input ()
     if (rc == -1) {
         if (errno == EAGAIN)
             _session->flush ();
-        else
+        else {
             error (protocol_error);
-        return;
+            return false;
+        }
+        return true;
     }
 
     while (_insize > 0) {
@@ -471,10 +473,14 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_input ()
 
     if (rc == -1 && errno == EAGAIN)
         _session->flush ();
-    else if (_io_error)
+    else if (_io_error) {
         error (connection_error);
-    else if (rc == -1)
+        return false;
+    } else if (rc == -1) {
         error (protocol_error);
+        return false;
+    }
+
     else {
         _input_stopped = false;
         set_pollin (_handle);
@@ -483,6 +489,8 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::restart_input ()
         //  Speculative read.
         in_event ();
     }
+
+    return true;
 }
 
 bool zmq::stream_engine_t::handshake ()
@@ -814,7 +822,8 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::zap_msg_available ()
         return;
     }
     if (_input_stopped)
-        restart_input ();
+        if (!restart_input ())
+            return;
     if (_output_stopped)
         restart_output ();
 }
diff --git a/src/stream_engine.hpp b/src/stream_engine.hpp
index e714fbd9..6604afb6 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.hpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class stream_engine_t : public io_object_t, public i_engine
     //  i_engine interface implementation.
     void plug (zmq::io_thread_t *io_thread_, zmq::session_base_t *session_);
     void terminate ();
-    void restart_input ();
+    bool restart_input ();
     void restart_output ();
     void zap_msg_available ();
     const char *get_endpoint () const;
diff --git a/src/udp_engine.cpp b/src/udp_engine.cpp
index a6cbf293..e070ccb5 100644
--- a/src/udp_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/udp_engine.cpp
@@ -537,11 +537,12 @@ void zmq::udp_engine_t::in_event ()
     _session->flush ();
 }
 
-void zmq::udp_engine_t::restart_input ()
+bool zmq::udp_engine_t::restart_input ()
 {
-    if (!_recv_enabled)
-        return;
+    if (_recv_enabled) {
+        set_pollin (_handle);
+        in_event ();
+    }
 
-    set_pollin (_handle);
-    in_event ();
+    return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/udp_engine.hpp b/src/udp_engine.hpp
index b21f1316..9bf5a533 100644
--- a/src/udp_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/udp_engine.hpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class udp_engine_t : public io_object_t, public i_engine
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that more
     //  messages can be written to the pipe.
-    void restart_input ();
+    bool restart_input ();
 
     //  This method is called by the session to signalise that there
     //  are messages to send available.